Number of Chinese ships swells in Escoda

THE Philippine Navy on Tuesday logged the biggest number of Chinese ships seen in Escoda (Sabina) Shoal in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) weeks after the Philippine Coast Guard pulled its biggest vessel from the disputed area.

A total of 11 People's Liberation Army-Navy (PLA-N) were sighted in the area from the period September 17 to 23, Rear Adm. Roy Vincent Trinidad, navy spokesman for the West Philippine Sea, said on Tuesday.

«This is the first time we have monitored that number [of ships] in Sabina,» Trinidad said in a press conference.

COURTESY OF MARITIME AWARENESS DAILY

Despite this, he maintained that China does not have de facto control of the area as the government will not be deterred from performing its mandate to safeguard Philippine territory.

«We continue to perform our mandate patrolling by sea and by air, not only in Escoda but in the entire West Philippine Sea,» Trinidad said when asked if the surge of warships meant that China now has de facto control of the shoal.

Trinidad gave no reason for the dramatic increase of Chinese vessels in Escoda Shoal and other areas in WPS.

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«Historically, each time there is a weather disturbance, the numbers go down, and they come back after the weather disturbance,» Trinidad said.

Aside from the navy fleet, 16 China Coast Guard (CCG) ships and 55 Chinese maritime militia vessels were spotted in the area within the said period.

Also, a total of 251 Chinese coast guard ships, navy ships and maritime militia vessels were monitored in the West Philippine Sea from September 17 to 23, which is the biggest total so far.

After more than five months, the BRP Teresa Magbanua left Escoda Shoal for the port of Puerto Princesa, Palawan, on September 15.

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At least four dehydrated crew who subsisted on rice porridge and rainwater weeks before as CCG thwarted the arrival of supplies for them were immediately brought to a hospital for treatment.

Escoda Shoal serves as the rendezvous point for Filipino vessels carrying out resupply missions to the naval outpost in Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal, where the naval outpost BRP Sierra Madre, which is a main flashpoint of tensions between Manila and Beijing, has